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I know I have been gone for a while, but its been a whirlwind of activity!

There was the vacation to Wisconsin to visit Mr. O’s family… there was the camping trip because we simply can NOT pass up camping in 100+ degree weather… and there has been the getting ready for the move for my new job!!!!!!

I accepted the position in Phoenix, with a report date of August 6th… so, we have been figuring out how and when we are all going to see each other as well as lookingfor places to live online – which is not as easy as it would seem!

But, everything else is good – money goals are being met and reintegrating is awesome!

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By Tuesday I already had my orders in hand and by Wednesday I already had a welcome email and links to places to stay for an extended period while I find a more permenant residence.

Wow. It has NEVER been that fast in the Army. Ever.

I already have the transportation dates set to come pack up all our stuff. Even the stuff in storage at our last duty station.

I cannot even describe to you how excited I am about this promotion, or what it means for my family’s future – or how it validates my choice to go back to school and get that degree – even if it meant working 5-6 nights a week and hardly getting any sleep. Ever. (Plus having to put up with the BS that goes on in a bar…)

Nor can I tell you the sadness I feel about how it affects my family in the present. Again, we will be separated. But this time, we will be the ones leaving, not Mr. “O”. It is going to be odd.

But then I try to think about having my chaise lounge sofa back and I get all happy again. (of course I am still sad about having to live away from my husband. But it is what it is – it is the choice we made and sitting and wallowing in self pity and sadness isnt’t going to change the fact that what is done is done. We made the best choice we could with the information we have for our family and we need to follow through with it, without all the waterworks.)

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I may rant about aspects of Army life now and again (See yesterday) but today I want to – I NEED to – reflect on something much greater than my petty pharmacy issue.

Mr. “O” was lucky that he got to return home earlier than anticipated. His entire unit did not come home with him.

You might have seen in the news that 5 Soldiers died in Iraq this past week.

Those 5 Soldiers were my husbands Soldiers.

17 more were injured.

Had my husband still been there, there is a 98% chance that he would no longer be walking upon this Earth. The rocket hit what was his “chu” (his little trailer house).

5 of those 22 lives are lost forever. 17 of those lives are changed forever. The title says 22 lives…. but reality is that it is HUNDREDS of lives that are changed forever.

From the Soldier that was injured but went back into a burning building without shoes on to pull another Soldier out – and then was unable to get back into the building to save one who perished.

From the families of all the Soldiers who are lost or injured – this can quickly equal hundreds of lives affected.

From the Soldiers who were there who were neither lost nor injured, but left helpless to do anything in the choas.

All of these lives are completely changed forever.

For me, personally, there are feelings of immense guilt. I feel awful for my fellow military families, but at the same time, I feel extreme relief that I can look at see my husband. I can touch him. I can smell him. I can argue with him about where the hell he moved my shoes to.

I am shaking right now with the thought that had it taken just 2 more weeks to get him home – his homecoming might not been of one being mad at American Airlines. It would have been one with a much more somber effect – a zombing effect – that my fellow Army wives are about to deal with.

Everything happens for a reason. My husband was not happy to be coming home early. (Well, he was happy to come home – but he didn’t want to leave his guys behind) I told him, “You know, maybe something big is about to happen and it just isn’t your time for that”.

How I wish I had never said those words.

This event will haunt him until the day he does leave this Earth. He feels as though if he was there he would have been able to do something to stop it from even occurring.

I am not trying to get into whether we should be in a certain place or not. That is a discussion for a different time under different circumstances.

But tonight, when you see your families – when you talk to your parents on the phone – when you see your friends – when you walk past a stranger – remember that life is but a brief moment.

Love. Laugh. Live. Make sure those you care about know that you do. Show them. Hug them. Kiss them. Let the little things go to the wayside.

Above all, be thankful that wherever you are – there are those who are there ready to stand and protect you and all that you love. Their courage can never be underestimated or diminished.

I salute all of them on this day.

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Well, that may be a bold, general statement. I am sure not ALL Army hospital pharmacies suck and the ones that do, certainly can’t suck ALL of the time (like when I got my awesome drugs while in labor with the wee ones) but today, this pharmacy – SUCKED.

I called in my refill for Xanax yesterday. Yes, I waited till I was almost out cause I didn’t want to be flagged in the system for being a dopehead by planning ahead. Anyways, the automated system told me I could pick up my prescription after 2 pm today.

So, at 4:15 I went and got my number, sat down, waited 30 minutes and then went up to the counter when my number was called.

Oh, didn’t you know there was a “glitch” in their system and my refill wouldn’t be ready for another 48 hours?

I explained the fact that THEIR system told me it would be ready and that I can’t really run out of this stuff because you can’t just STOP taking it (could be really bad! And they should know that, since they are the PHARMACY!) but they basically told me there was nothing they could do.

Like they don’t have 489y479789798789782890485897439 pills of Xanax back there were they could fill my damn refill. Customer service. HELLO! Except, they don’t think they have to give customer service, cause it is SOCIALIZED medicine and it SUCKS.

So, I asked how to get my prescription transferred to another pharmacy. They gave me the info I needed and off to Walgreens I went.

After my 45 minute drive to Walgreens (speeding most of the way because I had to get there before 6 pm when the Army pharmacy closed) I walked up to the counter and said, “I just had an awful experience at (insert Army hospital name here). Can you please help me?”

Within 15, yes FIFTEEN, minutes, not only had they called and gotten my prescription transferred over, it was filled and they were paging my name over the speaker. I didn’t even have time to get my on-sale, going-to-be-free-actually-going-to-be-money-maker-cause-they-were-going-to-give-me-3-dollars-in-register-rewards-after-purchase into the cart before they called my name – THAT’S how fast they were.

Yes, I had to pay $3 out of pocket for my meds. But you know what? I think I am going to keep going to Walgreens for every.single.medication. the doc puts me on. All those drugs the Army buys HUGE supplies of to keep the cost down? Whatever! I will pay my $3 and let the Army pay Walgreens $67 for the prescription.

At least at Walgreens they are nice. And helpful. And care about my business because, uh, that’s why they are business.

Unlike this suckfest Army pharamacy.

*note – never had a problem at any of the other pharmacies on this post – just this particular one. And I did already put in an ICE comment – which probably won’t do much. And yes, I am venting. Oops.

** Moral of the story? Socialized medicine, while at times seemingly wonderful, also seemingly sucks. Stupid pharmacy.

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Saturday night we went to the “dueling piano’s” show on post – it was actually pretty good. Much better than I expected it to be and the turnout was much more than we expected as well. Overall it was a great time.

After that, me and the hubby went and met some friends for some drinks across the street from where we live. It was really low-key and I even got to hear the music (well some of it) that I played on the jukebox, which always makes me a happy, happy girl!

Then Sunday morning came. It kinda hurt to get up (drinks) but I had to get to the store to get my coupons before they were all gone! I am so happy that I did, cause just 2 hours later when we went back to the store, all of the major city newspapers were gone (with all the BEST variety of coupons).

So, I clipped and sorted and packaged the ones I won’t use to mail to my cousin who does coupon swaps. In the process of doing this, Mr. “O” comes in, kisses me and says “it’s time to go!”

Not knowing what he meant, I just kinda looked confused.

I guess he was ready to take the boat out on the lake, cause while I was clipping coupons, he had hooked the trailer up to the truck, loaded up an ice chest full of drinks and snacks, had the girls already changed into their bathing suits with sunscreen ALREADY on.

How I missed all of this activity around me, I don’t know. Coupons must be pretty sexy.

At least I didn’t have to deal with any of the prep work. I just changed into my bathing suit and boat clothes, jumped in the truck and went along for the ride! Woot! Best boat day EVER!